Deep-well packer.



1. c. STINSON.

DEEP WELL PAGKER.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I2. 1914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS- SHEET 1.

" "y Stratmann j. STNSON.

DEEP WELL PACKER.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.12.1914.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WMM/wonen s ua e n rv o r. r. G

Janes c. srINsoN, or smreal), rnnnmvam DEEP-WELL racxnn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented api-.20, 1915.

Application led January 12, 1914. Serial No. 811,641.

' To all whom lit may concern Be it known that I, JAMES C. STINsoN, citizen of the United States, residing at Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Deep- 'Well Packers, of which the following is a specification.

Packers for oil and gas wells as now gen` erally constructed are of two distinct well recognized types, one form of packer being known as the disk-wall packer and the other type bein known as the hook-wall packer. Each of t. ese types of packers possesses advantages and disadvantages and itv is the primary object of my present invention to combine in one device the advantages of both types of packers and at the same time overcome the disadvantages thereof. The disk type of packer is more generally employed for the reason that it can be inserted in the well more readily than the hook type inasmuch as the disk locks the slips against action so that the casing may be lowered to the point where the packer is to be set without any liability of the slips anchoring the device at a higher point. The disk type of packer as heretofore constructed, however, employed a spring coiled around the casing and bearing against the slip-cage or shell, which spring expanded when the disk was released so that the slip-cage was caused toride against the conical collar or slipexpander and the slips thereby caused to engage the Wall of the well to anchor the packer. The said coiled spring held the slips anchored so firmly that the packer could not be readily removed from the well or shifted to a higher or lower point. It is sometimes necessary to pack a well without first removing the tubing and, in this event, the disk packer could not be used for the reason that it could not ride down within the tubing so that the hook type of packer was then employed. The hook packer does not employ the coiled spring which has heretofore been essential to the disk packer but is`released by partly rotating the tube which carries the packer, whereupon relative movement will occur between the tube and the slip-cage so that the slips will be carried a ainst the expander and anchor the packer within the wall. The hook type of acker, however, is objectionable, as heretoore constructed, for the reason that the hooks were easily bent and closed around consequently,

the pins or lugs which they engage, and, they could not be released, so that the device was useless. By mv present invention I provide a packer which combinesfeatures cf the heretofore recognized types and provldes a disk packer which can be lowered after the disk is broken or released and vwhich may be easily removed from the Well when such operation is desxred; and I'also provide a packer which may be operated inthe manner in which the-ordlnary hook packer is operated but which presents a construction free of any liability to bending andy closing of the hooks which would render the device inoperative.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and will be hereinafter fully described, the novel features thereof being subsequently particularly pointed out in the claims following the detailed description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a packer embodying my improvements showing the same as it appears when being lowered in the well and employing a locking disk. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on Athe line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the packer anchored. Fig. 5 is a detailed section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal *y section showing the device arranged to be lowered in the well without the use of a disk.

The packer member consists of an elastic cylinder 1, preferably of rubber, fitted around the casing 2 between an upper fixed collar 3 thereon and a lower conical collar or expander 4 which is fitted loosely upon the casing, these members being all of the usual or any preferred detailed construction. Below the expander or conical collar 4, I provide the casing 2 at diametrically opposite points with bayonet slots 5 and between said bayonet slots I provide openings or perforations 6, also at diametrically opposite points of the casing. The slip-cage or shell 7 is slidably mounted upon the casing below the expander 4 and 1n the practice of my invention is provided at diametrically opposite points with inwardly projectmg pins 8 which are adapted to engage the bayonet slots 5 as will be readily understood. The slip-cage or shell may be of any desired detail design but is preferably constructed of upper and lower rings connected to longitudinal or vertical arms, as illustrated`in the drawings, and to the upper edge of the cage the slips 9 are hinged, as indicated at 10. The hinged connection preferably consists of cotter pins lnserted transversely through mating lugs formed upon the slips and the cage so that the slips may freely swing outwardly 1n .the operation of anchoring the disk. The inner faces of the slips, at the upper ends thereof, are preferably beveled-so as to ride easlly upon the tapered surface of the expander 4 and the outer surfaces ofthe slips may be serrated, as indicated at 11, for positive engagement with the wall of the-well as w1ll be readily understood. Springs l2 are se-' cured at their lower ends upon the outer side of the cage near the lower end thereof and have their upper ends playing 1n spaced grooves 13 inthe outer surfaces of the respective slips so as to normally hold thel sllps inwardly out of contact w1th the sldes of the wall. The springs, however, will be bowed sufliciently to frictionally engage the wall of the well when the device is being lowered so that when the packer is to be anchored the shell will be held against movement with the casing and, consequently, the casing can move 4downwardly through the shell so that the expander will be carried downward behind the slips and force the same outward into an anchoring engagement with the wall of the well, whereupon the packer will. be expanded in the wellknown manner.

The. slip-cage is so constructed that the openings therein will be in alinement withv the openings or perforations 6 in the casing when the parts are assembled and, if so desire-d, the shell or slip-cage may be provided with angular notches 14 which will register with the openings 6 so that the locking device may readily engage the cage and lock the same to the casing so as to prevent relative movement between the casing and the cage when the packer is being lowered. The locking disk, indicated at 15, may be a light, frangible casting and is constructed with notches 16 in its edge so that it will be weakened and may be readily broken when the weight is dropped through the casing in the usual manner. Instead of a casting, the disk may be a thin easily bent sheet metal Aplate,.provided with the notches 16 so that when a weight is dropped through the casing the disk will be bent transversely and the locking pins or arms positively withdrawn from engagement with the shell and the casing so that the shellor slip-cage will be released. I providerthe disk, at one side, with a fixed projection, pin or locking arm 17 having a socket 18 in its inner end, and at a diametrically opposite pointupon the disk I p rovide a guide or sleeve 19 in which plays the outer end of the movable locking the slip-cage.

pin or arm 20. The inner end of this movable locking pin or arm plays within the socket 18 and between said socket and a stop 21 on the pin 20, I provide a spring 22 which is coiled around the pin so that when the pressure upon .the outer end of the pin is released the spring will expand and force the pin outward to engage the casing and This telescopic construction of the locking pins or arms will be found very advantageous in assembling the parts inasmuch as the sliding pin may be withdrawn to permit the insertion ofthe disk within the casing and, after the disk has been moved to the point where the ends of the locking pins or arms will register with the openings 6, the spring 22 will at once.

' relative to the casing. When the packer has been lowered to the point where it is to be set a weight is dropped through the casing so as to fracture or bend the locking disk and thereby release the slip-cage. The means by which the casing is held at the mouth of the well being then released, the weight of the casing will tend to move the device downward in the well but the sprin s 12 will engage the wall of the well with s cient frictional resistance to hold the slipcage against the downward movement and consequently the cage will remain 'relatively stationary so that the expander 4 will move downwardly and bear upon the inner faces of the slips and force the same out into anchoring engagement with the wall. This operation will then cause the packer to expand in the usual manner and the'pins 8 will at the same time reach the upper ends of the bayonet slots 5 so that the downward movement of the casing will be arrested. It will thus be seen that the weight of the casing is partly removed from the packer so that the tendency of the packer to wear away is appreciably reduced. Should it be desired to remove the packer from the well or move the same to a lower level the casing is jarred or slightly reciprocated in a vertical plane so as to loosen the packer from the well and then the casing is raised until the pins 8 reach the bottoms of the bayonet Aslots 5 after which the casing is partly rociently below the expander to permit the slips to be held against the casing and away from the wall of the Well by the springs 12 as Will be readily understood. The packer may then be moved to a higher or lower level or entirely withdrawn from the Well. If it be desired to insert the packer in the manner in which an ordinary hook type packer is inserted, the parts are assembled with the pins 8 at the closed ends of the horizontal members of the bayonet slots 5, as shown in Fig. 6, and the casing with the packer mounted thereon is then lowered to the point at which the packer is to be set. If the casing then be partly rotated the pins 8 on the slip-cage will be brought into alinement with the vertical portions of the bayonet slots and the weight of the casing may then be utilized to effect relative movement of the casing and the slip-cage so as to expand the slips and anchor the device as above described.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a packer of very simple construction which is free from the objections now existing to both types of packers and have combined in one device the advantages of both types. The coiled spring which has been heretofore an essential element of the disk type of packer isdispensed with in my device and I provide a disk packer which may be lowered in the Well after having once been locked therein. I also provide a disk packer which may be easily removed from the well inasmuch as the slips will be held out of engagement with the wall of the well and will not tend to set when the device is being Withdrawn. The means for eiiecting engagement between the slip-cage and the casing, whether the device be used as a disk packer or a hook packer, are all internal to the cage so that they will be protected against bending, breaking or other injury when the device is being lowered in the well.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination of a casing having openings therethrough, a locking disk adapted to be inserted in the casing, and telescopic pins carried by the disk and adapted to engage the openings in the casing.

2. The combination of a casing having openings therethrough, a locking disk adapted to fit within the casing and provided with a projection adapted to engage one of said openings and having a socket in its inner end, a guide upon the disk, a pin playing in said guide and said socket, and yieldable means bearing uponsaid pin to cause the same to engage an opening in the-casing.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. STINSON. [Ls] Witnesses: A

H. M. JACK, R. Gon. 

